Ore-concentrator.



Patented June lo, |902.

w. G. noun. y

ORE CONCENTRATDB.

(Application led Feb. 8, 1902.)

2 Sheets--Sheet I.

(No Model.)

No. 7o|,a59. Patented :une lo, |902.

one coNcENTnATOR.

(Application led Feb. 8, 1902.)

(No Model.) V2 sheets-sheet 2.

Y minals, are fully set forth,hence'nee'd not.-

UNITED' STATESK PATENT OFFICE.

wILLIs G. Donn-0F sAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

oRE-CoNoENTRAToR.

sPEoIFIcArrIcNformingpage `or Lettergratens No. 701,859, dated June 10, 1902. Y I Application led February 3, v1902. Serial No. 92.2307. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom tin/ay 'con/cern: v y

Be it known that I, WILLIS G.-DODD, a

citizen of the United States, residing inthe4 city and county of. San Francisco, State of California, have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in Ore-Goncentratorsgand I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description'ofth'e same. I

The present invention comprises anoscillating table having a plain or unriftied portion adjacentitsdischarge, the working surface ofthe table being provided with a series of curved riiiies, each rifde extending from the feed portion'fof the table onto the plain,

or unrifed surface and the terminal of each riftle being in advance of the preceding riiiie,

or, in other words,-the.riffiesrhave advanced terminals onto the plainor' unrifiied portion of the table. Y Y

In an application now pending in the United States Patent Office, SerialNo. 51,619,-

iiled by me on the 18th day of March, 1901,y

the advantages resulting from' the use of curved riftles on the-working faceof a circular table, the rifiies having .advancing terbe repeated in the present application.

to permit of the inclination of-.the working terial to be treated.

The invention also comprises means whereby the middlings are returned to the tableA for reworking. l

In order to comprehend the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying 'sheets of drawings, wherein- Figure lf isa side View in elevation of the concentrator, the table being in section. Fig. 2 is a top .plan View of the concentrator, the surface of the tablebeing partly broken away; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus.

In the drawings the numeral 1 is used to indicate a circular inclined 'concentratingtable, Fig. l of the drawings, which consists of a series of segments or segmental pieces 2. These pieces are attached near their lower edge to a circular plate Svby bolts 2', which ring orrcircular plate is connected to hub 3 @by barms The hub 3 is fitted to a central shaft 4.-',- working in bearing-box 42secured tqia'nfadjustable frame 4. This frame is of triangular form and hinged at one end to the baisev 5', the opposite end of the frame being (raised or lowered by adjusting-bolts'. The upper. ends of the segmental plates are held between Yrings ot b by bolts a'. Through the upper-ring-'plated works the adjusting-screw bxfwhich is operated by hand-wheel b2. The lowerend of said adjusting-screw works in a screw-threaded'seat a2 in the upper end of/the verticalshaft 4,`lthe screw being prevented from moving -out of ring-plate a by means of a [collar ol,- secured thereon.'V As thus connected theringsf'ct h and the segmentplate or .pieces are raised and lowered as the'adjusting-screw is screwed out of or into the vvertical shaft 4', the openings for the bolts 2 being of such size as to permitpf slight movement of the segment plates or pieces 2. `These pieces constitute the body of the concentrating-table;

'f `The working surface of the table comprises al layer of linoleum orY other suitable mate- 1 l,ri al,"the face of Vwhich is .provided with a se- The invention also resides'in so construct-. ing the frame or body portion of the table as..

ries of curved` ri'fiies `5. Each rifde springs or starts-fromacurvedportion or radial division-Gand' are 'rum-preferably, in a regular curvedescribe'daroundlthe center of the table.l The dischargeen'd of each rifie extends a slightdistance beyond the discharge end ofthe riftle immediately above, or, in other words, the riffles have advancing terminals ontoa plain or unriftled portion 7.

Each riftle discharges onto said smooth or unriftied portion for final washing or treatment the valuable particles of mineral they yhave collected. i

There is hinged to the unriiiied portion of the table a detiecting-nger 9, which-'serves to cut out and deiiect into"'a`pa n IOfthatportion ot the concentrated' product consisting of mineral mixed with-aism'all-'quan-tity of gangue and commonly termed middlings From the pan l0 extends a circular upwardlyinclined return launder or elevator l1, which returns the middlings to the table to be again subjected to treatment. This return launder or elevator is attached to the table by IOO means of suitable brackets. Thesaid return launder or elevator is concentric to the center of the table, and the middlings are discharged therefrom onto the table at approximately its head. As the middlings are received into pau 10 they are gradually forced into and up the return launder or elevator by reason of the impulses to which the material is subjected by the action of the table. To aid the material in its travel into and through the said launder or elevator, there is arranged therein one or more inwardly swinging or movable valves 12. These valves open to admit a forward movement of the material into and through the launder or elevater, but remain closed against backward movement thereof.

There is supported above the table a feedhopper 13, of any suitable construction,which receives the pulp or material to be treated and discharges same onto the cone 13', which delivers the material upon the table at the head of the riiiies. This cone covers the hand-wheel b2 and ring-plate a. A handopening b3 is formed in said cone 13', Fig. 1 of the drawings, which permits of insertion of the.hand for operating the hand-wheel. A water-supply pipe 14is also arranged above the table. From this water-supply pipe depends a series of cocks or outlets 15, through which clear water is sprayed or discharged onto the plain or unriffled portion 7 of the table as desired.

A circular waste-trough 16 is located beneath the lower edge of the table, into which waste-trough the gangue is discharged and allowed to escape.

Any suitable mechanism may be employed for imparting to the table the proper oscillatory movement necessary to feed or carry the material upon the table forward from the head of the riles toward their discharge ends. In the present case the table is illustrated as being operated through the medium of the jointed connecting-rod 17, which is attached at one end to the outer end of an arm 18, projecting from the vertical shaft 4. The free end of the connecting-rod works through the guide-bearing 19 and is attached to the eccentric-strap 20, surrounding cam 21, secured to the drive-shaft 22. Motion is imparted to the drive-shaft from any suitable source of power by means of a power-belt working over belt-wheel 23, attached to the drive-shaft.

The operation of the machine is as follows: Power by any suitable means is applied to the drive mechanism, which imparts an oscillatory movement to the table. Finelycrushed ore, consisting of particles of mineral mixed with water, designated as pulp, is conveyed by anysuitable means into the feed box or hopper 13, from which it is discharged onto the table at the head of the riiiies 5, as before described, and, due to the inclination or cone shape of the table, flows down radially toward the circumference and spreads throughout the riles, within which the valur'venete able particles of mineral settle and, due to the oscillatory motion given the table, are carried around by the riiiles and discharged upon the smooth or unriiied portion 7 of the table, where they are subjected to a final washing with clear water discharged upon the table from the water-pipe. This lnal washing eliminates any gangue that may have been discharged from the riiles, enablingthe concentrates to continue their travel to their discharge-point and to escape into the receptacle A, placed to receive same. Should a portion lof the concentrates near the periphery of the table contain a small quantity of gangue, it is cut out by finger 9 and deflected into the pan 10, from which, by means of the inclined return-elevator 11, it is redelivered to the table to be again treated. The mineral being eliminated, the gangue fiows downward over the periphery or lower edge of the table into the circular waste-trough 16 and is permitted to escape. The iiow of the gangue is indicated byarrows 24, and that of the mineral by arrows 25. It will be observed that the path of the gangue, while transverse of the table, is at an oblique angle tothe path of the mineral at theintersection of the paths, which causes little,if any,disturbance at such point.

By reason of the oscillating movement imparted to the table a variable agitation is given to the pulp fed thereon. The agitation is gentle or slight near the center of the table, where the pulp is first introduced, causing the valuable particles of mineral to quickly settle, which agitation rapidly increases toward the periphery of the table.

By the described construction of table the same may be adjusted or its inclination changed to meet the requirements of the varying material to be treated thereon. The linoleum cover for the table will give as the inclination of the table is changed to increase or decrease the pitch thereof.

Any suitable form of supporting base or frame may be use'd for mounting the machine, and, if desired, any well-known means may be employed for changing the inclination of the table.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. An ore-concentrator comprising an in clined circular table having an unriiled or' plain portion adjacent its discharge for the mineral, a series of curved riiiies extending from approximately a radial division of the table onto the plain or unriiiled portion thereof, means for imparting an oscillatory motion to the table, and an inclined launder or trough attached to and carried by the table, said launder or trough arranged to receive the middlings from the table and to discharge same thereon for reworking.

2. An ore-concentrator comprising an inclined circular table having an unriiled or plain portion adjacent its discharge for the IIO mineral, a series of curved collecting-rimes arranged on the working face thereof and discharging onto the plain or unriftled portion of said table, means for imparting an oscillatory motion to the table, and a valvecontrolled return launder or trough attached to and carried by the table, said launder or trough arranged to receive the middlings dis-v charged froln the table and to return the same thereto at its head. i

3. The combination with an inclined circular concentrating-table, a series of curved rifies arranged on the working face thereof,

adjustment to the pieces composing the body portion of the table.

5. The combination with an inclined circular concentrating table, of a series of curved riftles on the working surface thereof, the terminals of said riiles extending and discharging onto a plain or unriflied portion of the table, and means whereby the inclination of the table may be increased or decreased. l

6. Thecombination with an oscillatory inclined circular concentrating-table having a plain or unriftled portion, of a series of curved riffies arranged on the working face thereof and discharging onto the plain or unriflied portion, the rifiles having increasing terminals, and means for increasing or de= creasing the inclination of the table. Y

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIS G. DODD. 

